Responding to an internal email attacking his leadership, Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau Thursday reassured his members that he understands their concerns and is eager to hear their feedback "in a respectful and appropriate manner."

Responding to an internal email attacking his leadership, Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau has reassured his members that he understands their concerns and is eager to hear their feedback “in a respectful and appropriate manner.”

In an email message to members Wednesday, Bordeleau said he thought it was “only fair” that he address some of the issues raised in a highly critical mass email distributed Monday night by Const. Paul Heffler, a veteran officer nearing the end of a 30-year-career.

Though a mass email “is not an appropriate format for discussion,” Bordeleau said, “every member has felt some of the sentiments in the note at some point in their careers as we try to do a job we love.

“We are all professional and dedicated and we all feel the pressure of working in a high-risk environment made more difficult as expectations shift,” Bordeleau told his members.

“We all work as a team. The executive command and all senior officers support you. We all share in the challenges and we overcome them collectively.”

Heffler sent the mass email in reply to an open letter released by Bordeleau. The open letter, prepared after the Citizen invited an op-ed submission from Bordeleau, promised a permanent doubling of the Ottawa police anti-gang squad and called on other community agencies to help police curb gun violence.

Since the start of the year, four people have been shot dead and another fatally stabbed in suspected gang violence.

Heffler’s email said the police service suffers from “an inbred system of self-promotion” and treats its patrol officers like they are “dime-store security guards.”

He said the force had forgotten the key role patrol officers play in combating guns and gangs. “Proactive policing, where the rubber meets the road, namely patrol, has been driven out of this service,” his email said.

He also said there was little support for officers subjected to false racial profiling allegations after doing street checks – the controversial police practice of gathering information by observing or interacting with the public.

An internal probe now under way into officers who are alleged to have falsified traffic warnings to improve their personal statistics “isn’t a symptom of corrupt cops,” Heffler declared. “It’s a symptom of a corrupt system.”

In his response, Bordeleau said policing is always changing. Issues such as racial profiling, unauthorized accessing of police databases and use of force “are continuously being raised by the people we serve and by our own members.”

Public concern about racial profiling prompted Ottawa police to launch a study of street checks and the racial characteristics of people stopped by police, Bordeleau said. “These are both real issues our community cares about and we cannot, should not and will not hide from them.”

The chief said senior leadership is always mindful of the impact of such issues on front-line members. Inspectors Pat Flanagan and Mark Patterson “have been leading internal and external groups on these issues and have been very open about hearing about the concerns of members,” he said.

“They are working to find a balance that makes sense for our organization and the community we serve. But they need our continued support,” said Bordeleau, adding that there are channels in place that allow members to provide feedback “in a respectful and appropriate manner.”

The chief reminded members that the service plans to add 75 more officers to its complement over the next three years. He has “heard the concerns” about the service’s current patrol vehicle and said the service is buying “a greater number of utility vehicles” for use in the patrol fleet.

Ottawa police are monitoring current pilot projects by Toronto police and the OPP testing the use of body-worn cameras and are waiting for results before implementing a similar program here, Bordeleau said.

Senior officers have been working hard to implement the City of Ottawa’s new radio system for the police service, but the project has been delayed by “issues beyond the control of OPS,” he said. Other senior officers are “working to understand and deal with the growing pressures created by accommodations of some members.”

Meanwhile, Flanagan and Deputy Chief Ed Keeley “are working on a process to ensure ongoing dialogue and engagement in the patrol directorate,” Bordeleau said.

“The focus of our organization is the front line. It always will be our focus,” he said. “We all work to prevent and solve crime, reduce victimization, hold offenders accountable and keep the community safe.”

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.